Sheet-delivery mechanism.



No. 755,068. PATBNTED MAR. 22, 1904. W. SPALGKHAVER. SHEET DELIVERY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION rum) ov. 8. 1902.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM SPALCKHAVER, on New Patented March 22, 1904.

YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT HOE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHEET-bELlV ERY MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 7 55,068, dated March 1904:. Application filed November 8,1902. Serial No. 130,534. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

, scribed and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, form- I ing a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improvements in sheet-delivery mechanism.

In printing-machines the heavy pressure to which the sheet is subjected during the printing operation causes the sheet to adhere to the tympan, this adherence being due either to the fact that the air is forced out from under the sheet by the pressure resulting from the heavy impression or to the fact that the pressure electrifies the sheet somewhat or for other reasons. When the sheet is to be drawn from the cylinder by the delivery mechanism, this adherence is frequently so strong as to cause the sheet to pull out of the grasp of the delivery mechanism, this being particularly true of the class of machines known as stop-cylinder machines, with which a front delivery is employed.

It is the object of this invention to produce an improved delivery mechanism for printingmachines by which the sheets may be delivered with certainty notwithstanding the adherence of the sheet to the tympan before referred to.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists in certain constructions and in certain parts, improvements, and combinations,-as will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a stop-cylinder of a printing-machine provided with the improved delivery mechanism. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation of part of the construction.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate a concrete embodiment of the invention, 1 indicates the impression-cylinder of a stop-cylinder machine, said cylinder being mounted on a shaft 2, which is or may be supported in the side frames in the usual manner. The cylinder is provided with the-usual sheet-carrying or impression surface 3, said surface serving to support the usual blanket-sheet 4, which is fastened at one end to pins 5 and secured at the other end to a reel 6, as is common in such constructions. The sheet is delivered to the grippers 7 of the cylinder in any suitable manner, as from the feed-board 8, and is drawn from the cylinder by means of a frontdelivery mechanism, said mechanism, as shown, comprising suitable edge-grippers 9 and a carriage 10. This front-delivery mechanism is orj may be of any of the types well known in the art, and a specific illustration and description of it is therefore unnecessary. The cylinder 2 may cooperate with a reciprocating bed or with another cylinder. The C0- operating member of the couple is, however,

omitted from the illustration, as it may be of any form and its construction has no relation to the present invention. The cylinder is provided with a sheet carrier or support which may be of any suitable construction. As shown, this'support consists of a light tympan-sheet 11, although under some circumstances tapes or other similar devices may be substituted therefora This tympan-sheet is operated to shift the sheeton the cylinder, and thus facilitate its removal therefrom. The mechanism by which the tympan-sheet or other support is given its shifting movement may be varied within wide limits. As shown, the forward end of the sheet is connected to a reel 12, mounted on a shaft 13,

journaled in the heads of the cylinder. The

other end of the tympan-sheet is or may be connected to a reel 14:, mounted on a shaft 15. It is apparent that if the two shafts 13 and 15 be rotated in the proper directions the tympan or other support will be given a forward movement, which will shift the sheet with re spect to the cylinder. When the shifting movement of the support or tympan is produced by winding and unwinding reels, the reels may be operated by any suitable mechanism. As shown, the shaft 13 is provided with a pinion 16, and the shaft 15is provided with a pinion 17, Mounted on the shaft 2,

which supports the cylinder, is a hub 18, provided with arms 19, 20, and 21. is provided with a rack 22, which engages the pinion 16, and the arm 20is provided with a rack 23, which engages the pinion 17. The arm 21 is provided with a stud 24, which is or may be provided with the usual antifric tion-roll, said stud being embraced by the fork of a lever 25, pivoted on a stud 26, eX- tending inward from one of the side fran'ies. This lever has connected to it in the construction shown an operating-rod 27, which may be moved by a suitable cam. (Not shown.) \Vhen, however, the construction is as shown, the cam will be of suitable configuration to draw the lever down somewhat from the position shown in Fig. 1, so as to allow the antifriction-roll to run into the fork in the lever 25. The subsequent movements of the lever 25 after the roll has engaged its fork will depend upon the time when the sheet-support is given its movement. When the invention is applied to a stop-cylinder machine, (and it is with this class of machines that the invention is more particularly intended to be used,) the lever 25 will operate the three-armed lever to produce through the connections described the movement of the sheet-support immediately after the cylinder has come to a stop. With the construction illustrated, therefore, the cam which operates the rod 27 will after the lever 25 has been engaged by the cam-roll cause this lever to move upward, so as to follow the upward movement of the stud. When. however, the cylinder has come to a stop, the lever 25 continues its upward movement, thus rocking the three-armed lever and causing the sheet-support to advance. movement of the sheet-support brings the edge of the sheet well within the grasp of the grippers and at the same time loosens the sheet, so that it does not adhere to the tympan or cylinder. When the delivery mechanism has seized the sheet and has begun to draw it from the cylinder, the lever 25 is moved downward, so as to restore the sheet-support to its original position. As the cylinder begins to rotate again under the influence of its starting mechanism, the lever 25 is given a slight upward movement to allow the roll on the stud 24 to roll out of the fork without disturbing the position of the three-armed lever.

It is desirable that the sheefisnpport or tympan be perfectly loose on the surface of the cylinder at the time it begins to be taken up by the taking-up mechanism. To this end the mechanism which gives up the sheet-support, which in the construction shown is the unwinding-reel 14, is constructed so that it pays out slightly more of the sheet-support or tympan that is taken up by the take-up mechanism-that is to say, the reel 12. The construction by which the giving-up mechanism is made to accomplish this function may be varied within wide limits. As shown, the reel The arm 19 y This 14 is slightly larger in diameter than the reel 12, so that its surface speed under the operation of its pinion is slightly greater than the surface speed of the reel 12. The same result may be accom plished by varying the pitch- .diameter of the pinion 17 or by changing its location with respect to the axis of the cylinder, or in various other ways.

In order that the tympan or sheet-support may lie perfectly taut on the cylinder, it will preferably be held under tension. This may be accomplished in various ways. As shown, the unwinding-reel 1 1 is mounted in arms 28, extending from collars 29, which are mounted on the shaft of the cylinder and are loose thereon. A suitable push-spring 30 operates to push the arms away from the edge of the sheet -supporting surface of the cylinder. When, however, the reel starts to rotate under the action of the pinion 17 and the rack 23, thus producing slack in the sheet-support, the spring 30 causes the arms which support the pinion to move backward, the pinion rolling backward on the rack. To prevent any undue backing movement, a stop 31 is provided, with which one of the arms comes into contact. As soon as one of the arms 28 has come into contact with this stop 31 a further movement of the rack 23 causes slack to be produced in the sheet-support.

It will be understood that the construction by which the invention is carried into effect may be varied within wide limits. The invention is not, therefore, to be restricted to the specific details of construction hereinbefore described.

What is claimed is 1. In a printing-machine, the combination with a sheet-carrying cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a tympan on the cylinder, and means for giving the tympan a movement with respect to the cylinder after the delivery mechanism receives the sheet to shift the sheet on the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stopcylinder, of adelivery mechanism, a tympan on the cylinder, and means for giving the tympan a movement with respect to the cylinder after the delivery mechanism receives the sheet to shift the sheet on the cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In a printing-machine, the combination with a sheet-carrying cylinder, of a delivery mechanism including suitable grippers for seizing the edge of the sheet, a movable sheetcarrier on the cylinder, and means for giving the carrier a movement after the grippers have seized the sheet to shift the sheet on the cylinder, substantially. as described.

4. Ina printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism including suitable edge-grippers, a movable sheet-carrier on the cylinder, and means for giving the carrier a movement with respect to the cylinder after the grippers have seized the sheet to shift the sheet on the cylinder,

operating the reels to give the carrier a movement with respect to the cylinder to shift the sheet on the cylinder, substantially as described.

7. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, take-up and give-up mechanisms operating on the carrier, means for operating said mechanisms to give the carrier a movement to shift the sheet on the cylinder, the take-up mechanism being constructed to deliver the carrier slightly faster than it is taken up by the take-up mechanism, substantially as described.

8. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, winding and unwinding reels to which said carrier is connected, and means for operating the reels to give the carrier a movement to shift the sheet on the cylinder, the unwinding-reel being constructed to give up more carrier than is taken up by the winding-reel, substantially as described.

9. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, winding and unwinding mechanisms to which the carrier is connected, and means including a lever mechanism for actuating said winding and unwinding mechanisms, said means being brought into operation after the delivery mechanism has seized the sheet, substantially as described.

10. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, winding and unwinding reels to which the carrier is connected, pinions on said reels, a two-armed lever having racks engaging said pinions, and a cam and suitable connections for rocking the lever to operate the reels to give the carrier a movement to shift the sheet on the cylinder, substantially as described.

11. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, winding and unwinding reels to which said carrier is connected, means including a lever mechanism and suitable connections for operating the reels, the construction being such that the unwinding-reel delivers slightly more carrier than is taken up by the winding-reel,substantially as described.

12. In a printing-machine, the combination withastop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, a winding-reel to which said carrier is connected, an unwinding-reel, a carrier therefor, a spring operating .on the reelcarrier to place the sheet-carrier under tension, and means for operating the reels to give the sheet-carrier a movement to shift the sheet on the cylinder, the unwinding-reel and its operating means being constructed to pay out more of the sheet-carrier than is taken up by the winding-reel, substantially as described.

13. In a printing-machine, the combination with a stop-cylinder, of a delivery mechanism, a sheet-carrier, winding and unwinding reels to which said carrier is connected, pinions on said reels, a lever mechanism including suitable racks for operating the pinions, and a spring-controlled carrier for the unwindingreel, the construction being such that more of the sheet-carrier is paid out by the unwinding-reel than is taken up by the winding-reel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofIhave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SPALCKHAVER.

Witnesses:

F. W. H. CRANE, J. A. GRAVES. 

